Recipe from my favorite Food TV Chef!

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds rigatoni or ziti pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pasta Frolla, recipe follows
1 1/2 cups toasted bread crumbs
Ragu Napoletano (Neapolitan Meat Sauce), recipe follows
2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Besciamella, recipe follows
1/2 pound prosciutto crudo, 1/4-inch dice
Several gratings nutmeg
Neapolitan Meatballs, recipe follows
1/2 cup butter
Place 6 quarts water in a spaghetti pot, bring to a boil and add 2
tablespoons salt. Drop pasta in and cook 2 minutes less than the
package instructions, remove and refresh under cold running water until
cool, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from refreshing bath and toss with 2
tablespoons oil and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375Ί degrees F
Roll out the pasta frolla to 1/4-inch thick. Butter the metal bowl and dust
with the bread crumbs. Lay the pasta frolla in to completely line all of the
bowl plus 1 1/2 inches over the edge and set aside.
Mix half of the cooked rigatoni with 2 1/2 cups Ragu Napoletano, 1/2 cup
of Parmigiano and set aside. Mix the remaining half of the cooked rigatoni
with half of the besciamella, 1/4 cup parmigiano, the prosciutto and a
generous grating of nutmeg, and set aside.
Place the white mixed pasta into the mold and press down lightly.
Sprinkle over with grated Parmigiano.
Place the meatballs (polpette) over the white pasta carefully in a
consistent layer and press carefully down. Sprinkle with Parmigiano.
Place the red pasta over the polpette and press down gently.
Fold the extra 1 1/2 inches of pasta frolla over the whole thing and press
gently. Cover the open top with foil and place in oven to bake for 35 to 40
minutes.
Remove from oven, remove foil, invert onto a large serving platter, and
allow to rest 3 minutes. Carefully loosen the pasta around the base with a
knife and knock with knuckles to remove from bowl. Serve immediately
with remaining Parmigiano on the side. This will be cut like a cake to
serve.
Pasta Frolla:
2 1/2 cups flour
6 ounces lard
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
A little ice water
Make a well in the flour on a wooden work surface. Cut the lard into
1/4-inch pieces and place in the center of the well with the yolks, salt and
a teaspoon of ice water. Mix well with the tips of your fingers to form a
lumpy mass. Bring together as a dough and knead for 4 to 5 minutes.
Wrap in plastic and set aside.
Ragu Napoletano (Neapolitan Meat Sauce):
1/2 pound veal, cut into chunks
1/2 pound beef chuck, cut into chunks
1 onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled San Marzano tomatoes and juices, passed through a food mill
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausages
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch hot chile flakes
In a large pasta pot or Dutch oven, combine the veal, beef, onion, and oil
over high heat and cook until meat is seared on all sides and meat juices
have evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until wine evaporates and meat
is darker brown, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, sausages, salt, and chile flakes. Reduce heat to
simmer and cook 21/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and skimming fat
as necessary.
Remove from heat and remove meat from ragu. Adjust seasoning with
salt and pepper, and allow to cool.
Yield: 4 cups, for 8 pasta servings
Neapolitan Meatballs (Polpette alla Napoletana): 3 cups day-old bread,
cut into 1-inch cubes 1 1/4 pounds ground beef, preferably chuck 3 eggs,
beaten 3 cloves garlic, minced 3/4 cup pecorino, grated 1 bunch Italian
parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted for 2
minutes in a 400 degree oven 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4
cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 1/2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows
In a shallow bowl, soak the bread cubes in enough water to cover.
Remove the bread cubes and squeeze by hand to wring excess moisture.
In a large bowl, combine the bread, beef, eggs, garlic, pecorino, parsley,
pine nuts, salt, and pepper, and mix by hand to incorporate bread into
meat. With wet hands, form the mixture into 12 to 15 meatballs, each of a
size somewhere between a tennis ball and a golf ball.
In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil until almost smoking. Add
the meatballs, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the
pan, and cook until deep golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce and reduce the heat to a simmer. Add all
meatballs, cook for 10 minutes and allow to cool.
Basic Tomato Sauce: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 Spanish onion,
chopped in 1/4-inch dice 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 3
tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried 1/2
medium carrot, finely shredded 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole
tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved Salt, to taste
In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion
and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10
minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the
carrot is quite soft. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring
often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot
cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds one week in the
refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
Yield: 4 cups
Besciamella Sauce: 5 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 3 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
In a medium saucepan, heat butter until melted. Add flour and stir until
smooth. Over medium heat, cook until light golden brown, about 6 to 7
minutes.
Meanwhile, heat milk in separate pan until just about to boil. Add milk to
butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth and
bring to a boil. Cook 30 seconds and remove from heat. Season with salt
and nutmeg and set aside.